SURVIVAL GUIDE GEN 105 DUE January 11, 2009

What personal action plans would I develop to achieve success for?
Following topics: o Using Axia's Educational Resources o Upholding Academic Honesty o Setting and Achieving Goals o Managing Time Wisely o Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention o Applying Personality and Learning Styles

The personal action plan I would develop for using Axia's Educational Resources to achieve success would be to construct a hard copy overview of all the resources and refer to it during my course work. By constructing this outline of sorts I will be providing myself with a reference that will show me where to go for the specific project information I am in need of at that time. Axia provides files I can download to my computer as tools for my coursework enhancement such as: “Microsoft Internet Explorer / Outlook Express, Adobe Reader® 6.0, Macromedia Flash Player, Macromedia Shockwave Player, Microsoft Office Online File Converters and Viewers, Netscape and University of Phoenix Custom Screensaver.” I also have the advantage of the Universities Library for research of all kinds and depths. The Library is housed with article databases, books, journals, testing aids and the Library Tutorial that is the key to the Library’s use. While I use the Library’s resources searches for specific information can be made by using Boolean and wildcard logic to isolate my search needs in different databases such as Thomson Gale PowerSearch and EBSCOhost.

The personal action plan I would develop for upholding academic honesty to achieve success would be to include an academic integrity portion in my overview or outline. Axia provides us, the students, with an academic honesty policy that is quite straight forward regarding the basic elements of ethical behavior related to the use of academic resources. I believe this policy’s basis of honesty to be commonplace at any school and any level of education. I understand without reading or referring to any tangible material what the taboo and consequences of plagiarism will be in the end. Plagiarism is essentially stealing other’s intellectual property and is a poor choice for many reasons not only the punishment but what it says about one as an individual. Axia promises punishment for the offence of plagiarism that could be but is not limited to, expulsion and failure of the course. A fail safe way to approach plagiarism and written work is through the use of the University’s Plagiarism Checker located under “My Learning Resources” in the CWE. By simply following the CWE’s instructions on the paper review system the “checker” will perform its automated process checking of checking the paper for grammar and plagiarism issues. The University’s Code of Conduct is a smart read to take time for and provides comprehensive academic policy guidelines for all University members.

The personal action plan I would develop for setting and achieving my goals to achieve success would be to include an educational and career portion in my overview or outline. Within the master outline I would identify and list my short-term and long-term goals noting deadlines for these goals, how I will achieve these goals, the value(s) I have in common with these goals and the ambitious undertaking ahead of me related to these goal attainments. To aid in my success I would compile an addition to my Survival Guide containing information on how to attain my goals regardless of any hindrance. I would list some possible obstacles that I might run into and refer to this section of my Guide when I hit a wall in my attainment of my life’s goals. The points I would list might include an objective list of my strongest and weakest skills and capabilities, stress management techniques, fight procrastination, to achieve my goal I must be prepared to apply consistent effort over the long-term and do not lose touch with the reasons I chose this path initially. My Axia degree relates to my goals because a college degree is an asset to me and my possible employer in that it supplies me with the foundation that I need to perform basic projects and prove my skills with a solid educational record.

The personal action plan I would develop for managing my time wisely to achieve success would also be outfitted into my personal Survival Guide. In regard to balancing my time between Axia courses, maneuvering time needed for school, work and family, ranking my daily activities and preventing “time-wasters” I would break down these issues and acknowledge them one at a time in my Guide. The best way for me to balance my time between Axia Courses, is to first be aware of the course assignment due dates and plot these all out in a planner intermingling my other responsibilities. The use of “Time Saving Techniques” or assigning priority levels to all of the things I am responsible for will benefit me greatly where maneuvering, ranking and preventing “time-wasters” are concerned. This level of organization in itself saves time due to its obvious lack of being disorganized and a steady stream of daily accomplishments. Timing is an issue that has endless ways of being used beneficially if some basic principles are followed including but not limited to staying motivated, focusing on the short-term goals that draw me to my long-term goal, studying without distractions and planning consistently.

The personal action plan I would develop for promoting “reading comprehension and retention” would be very methodical to aid in my own growth in this area. There are many successful methods for reading comprehension that promote retention of the information the idea is to find one that fit each individuals style, and maximizes aids ones study habits. I employ the following skills to be an effective reader, to increase comprehension and to benefit my study habits:
• Finding main ideas and supporting evidence
• Recognizing a text's patterns of organization
• Making inferences and drawing conclusions
• Realizing conceptual relationships
• Use a dictionary if needed
• Testing my understanding of the material through application
• Summarizing or outlining main points and supporting details
• Rereading the material
• Try to explain what I have read to someone else
In addition to the above mentioned skills to aid in successful reading and study habits I also find that the SQ3R method is a staple in my reading comprehension and retention arsenal. The SQ3R method simply defines itself in its names meaning which is survey, question, read, recite and review.

In regard to applying my personality and learning styles to achieve success my personal action plan will benefit me just by the knowledge of what mine are. My personality type is a thinker which makes me quite analytical and can be both an asset and a curse. In a distance learning environment I believe it helps me interpret what is “between the lines.” I have a tendency to desire the very nature of what something or anything is at its core. I now must reference one of the most precious parts of my philosophical love Marcus Aurelius “Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature?” This is my mind always and yes it gets arduous but I have also been rewarded by my “nature.” I say rewarded because this “way I am” a verbal-linguistic type helps me develop my multiple intelligences by “its nature” to probe, watch and observe. I have grown to improve my less-developed intelligences I now appreciate nature, view myself through others eyes and “develop systems and find patterns. I find that I gravitate toward people that are different than I am because they interest me. I know me I have little interest in being with people just like me. I relate well to those of different intelligences and personality types because I like to pick things apart. I do not let people know I am doing this it is just the nature of my mind to delve, seek and understand. In conclusion, I believe this to be the piece of my Survival Guide I like the most.